Welcome to the Hellmouth. Again.
by Buffy-Angelus
Summary: Buffy gets a wish to do everything over again. R/R please ^_^ When I previously uploaded this fic, I uploaded the chapter that belongs in my fic Even Angel's Fall. This is not that fic. If you want to read updates of that fic, search for it or me, but
1. Welcome to the Hellmouth. Again.

Title:  Welcome to the Hellmouth.  Again.

Author:  Buffy_Angelus (Paige)

Rating:  PG-13  (language, violence)

Disclaimer:  ANGEL BELONGS TO ME!  HE IS ALL MINE!  Well, ok, not really.  I am not the almighty Crackhead, Joss.  I own none of the BTVS/AtS characters.

Spoilers:  Hrm…all the seasons, all the episodes (of Buffy at least) eventually.  You'll see what I mean.

Summary:  After the BTVS season finale, Buffy has the chance to do everything over again.

Distribution:  E-mail me (Buffy_Angelus13@hotmail.com) to let me know where it's going.

Feedback:  I live on it.  ^_^

Buffy sighed and kicked her feet at a few rocks on the ground.  Her tacky Doublemeat Palace uniform glowed brightly in the oddly calm darkness.  This wasn't how things were supposed to go.  She should be in her 3rd year of college.  Instead, she was serving disgusting burgers at a fast food joint.  Her mother was dead when she should have been alive for many more years.  When she was a freshman, this was not at all how she pictured herself in the next few years.  Not at all.

"I just wish I could go back to the beginning; do things over," she spoke aloud.

Anya cringed inwardly.

Anya had followed Buffy, hoping to talk to her about Xander.  She was about to approach her when she had made that utterly stupid wish.  Yet, Anya was a vengeance demon.  She was obligated to grant Buffy's wish.

"I'm sorry," was all that Buffy heard before she disappeared.

"Buffy?"  A voice came from outside, in the hallway.

"A few more minutes, mom," she groaned, rolling over.

_Mom?_

Buffy sprung up from her bed.  She raced down the stairs and stood, wide-eyed, gaping at her mother.

"Get dressed.  You don't want to be late for your first day," Joyce said.  

_First day?_

"First day?" Buffy questioned, inwardly kicking her.  _Like that's the most important question to ask right now!_

"At Sunnydale High, your new school," Joyce answered.  "Now go!"

Buffy, feeling stupid, walked back upstairs into her room.

_Ok, there is definitely something wrong here,_ she thought as she went through her clothes.

_What???_  Instead of her normal clothes, all that there was in her closet was the clothes she had worn when she was 16.

"No," she muttered, "not possible."

Unwanting to, she turned to her mirror…

…and nearly fainted at what she saw.  Instead of her normal short, flipped out, golden-brown hair, it was normal blonde, curled in slightly, hideous bangs, slightly longer than usual.  It was her 16-year old self.

And of course it was possible.  It was the Hellmouth.  She took a deep breath and stared at herself for a few more moments.

_Ok, so I was transported back to when I was a sophomore.  No big, I can deal._  Suddenly, she realized something.  There were no obnoxious interruptions by a certain younger sister.  No yelling or dancing about as Dawn did as a kid.

_Pre-monks, _Buffy realized.  _There's no Dawn.  I can live life with no Dawn._  Unsure how she felt about this, she began to get dressed.

"Ok, have a good time.  I know you're going to make friends right away.  Think positive," Joyce said, giving Buffy the thumbs up.

_This is majorly weird, _Buffy thought, getting out of the car.  

"And honey," Joyce called after her.  She turned.  "Try not to get kicked out."

Buffy smiled fakely.  "I promise."

Buffy turned back to the school.  Good, ol' Sunnydale High.  She smiled and continued on.

"'Scuse me, comin' through, pardon me, 'scuse me, whoa! 'Scuse me, not sure how to stop!  Please move, whoa, 'scuse me..."  Buffy smiled wider.

_Xander!_

"Whoa," Xander said, seeing Buffy.  He forgot to look back to where he was going, and immediately crashed.

"I'm ok.  I feel good," Xander said, on the ground.

_Willow!_  Buffy stared at her best friend.  They were so different as 16-year olds.  Buffy wished she could talk to them, tell them something, but she had to get inside.  

_Time to meet the principal._

"Welcome to Sunnydale!  A clean slate, Buffy, that's what you get here.  What's past is past.  We're not interested in what it says on a piece of paper, even if it says..." Principal Flutie looked at what was in his hands.  "Whoa."

Buffy groaned inwardly.  Damn her past!

"Mr. Flutie…" Buffy began.

"All students here are free to call me Bob," Principal Flutie said.  

"I'm more comfortable with Mr. Flutie," Buffy said awkwardly.  Calling him Bob would be a mistake.  At least she remembered some things that had happened in her past.  "I know my transcripts are a bit… colorful…"

"Heeeeey, we're not caring about that!  Do you think, uh, 'colorful' is the word?  Not dismal?" he asked, taping up the previously torn transcript.

"It's not that bad…," she began.

"You burned down the gym."

_Damn vampires!_

"I did, I really did, but you're not seeing the big picture here!  I mean, the gym was full of…" _Don't say vampires.  Not vampires.  _"Asbestos!"  Over the years she had gotten better at covering up.  Although, asbestos wasn't really the best cover-up.

"Buffy, don't worry. Any other school they might say 'watch your step', or 'we'll be watching you'... But, that's just not the way **here**. We want to service your needs, and help you to respect our needs. And if your needs and our needs don't mesh..."  He slapped the folder down and Buffy smiled thinly.

_That didn't go much better the second time than the first,_ Buffy thought, not looking where she was going.  She bumped into a girl and all her things went flying on the ground.

"Oh, sorry!" Buffy exclaimed, picking up.  _Damn!  I can't even prevent myself from bumping into someone the second time!_

"It's ok," the girl said.

Buffy looked up for a second and saw Xander coming over.  _Xander to the rescue! _She thought, and began to giggle.

"Can I have you?" Xander asked.  Buffy smiled.  _Poor Xander.  I forgot how much a crush he had on me back then… er… back now.  _

"Duh…" Xander said, covering up with a goofy smile.  "Can I help you?"

"Thanks," Buffy said gratefully.

"I don't know you, do I?" he asked, helping her.

Well actually… 

"No.  You don't, I'm new here.  Buffy would be me."

"Xander," he said.  "Um, is me.  Hi."  He smiled.  Buffy smiled back.  

"Maybe I'll… see you around?  At school?  We both… go there," Xander said, with an odd look on his face.

"Great!" she said.  "It was nice to…"  _See a familiar face?  Talk to you again?  _"Meet you."  Buffy looked to the ground. 

_Great, leaving stakes on the ground.  Kendra was right about the not knowing what a secret identity is._  Xander followed her eyes to the ground and noticed the stake.

"Here, let me," he said, picking it up.  "Here's your… stake."  

"It's for self defense," Buffy explained quickly.  "Everyone has them in L.A.  Pepper spray is so passé."

"Oh, well… ya know, I thought you were building a really tiny fence, but…"

Buffy smiled.  "Anyways… thanks.  I'll see you around."  She turned and walked to her next class.

"Erm… yeah!  Nice seeing you and…" he trailed off as she rounded the corner.

"It's estimated that about twenty-five million people died in that one four-year span. But the fun part of the Black Plague is that it originated in Europe how?" the teacher asked, lecturing the class.

_I shouldn't be here,_ Buffy thought to herself.  _I've already done the high school thing!  I've already learned about this!  This is all just pointle—_  Her thoughts were interrupted as Cordelia took notice of her.  Cordelia moved her book so Buffy could see it.

"Thanks," Buffy said, not bothering to tell her that she already knew all this stuff.  The bell rang, signaling the end of class.

Finally! 

"I'm Cordelia," Cordelia said, offering her hand.

Buffy took it.  "I'm Buffy."

"If you're looking for a textbook of your own, there's probably a few in the library," Cordelia suggested.

The library!  Giles! 

"Do you need me to show you--" Cordelia said, trailing off as Buffy walked away.  She raced after her.  "Don't you need someone to show you where it is?"

"Um… yeah, sure," Buffy said.  _Remember, you're the new student.  You don't know where anything is.  You don't know anyone.  It's all new.  _

"So you're from Hemery, right?  In L.A.?" Cordelia asked as they walked.

No, I'm from here!  I've been here for 6 years! 

"Um, yeah," Buffy said.

"Oh I would **kill** to live in L.A.!" Cordelia exclaimed.  "**That **close to **that **many shoes?"  Buffy laughed feebly along with Cordelia, although she was thinking otherwise.

I bet you would.  Actually, you will.  You become a partner with my ex-boyfriend and — 

"Well, you'll be okay here," Cordelia said, cutting into her thoughts. "If you hang with me and mine, you'll be accepted in no time. Of course, we do have to test your coolness factor. You're from L.A., so you can skip the written, but let's see. Vamp nail polish."

_Oh, fuck! _Buffy thought.  _ How am I supposed to remember this stuff?_

"Um, over?" Buffy asked, hoping it was right.  _Why do I care about being liked by Cordelia so much?  I don't become very good friends with her until later!_  Yet she did care, for some unknown reason.  Maybe it was best to go through this part of life the same.

"So over.  James Spader?"

"Needs to call me!" she blurted out.  _Whoa… where did that come from?  It must be my mind remembering what I said the first time this happened.  _She considered that possibility.  _Cool!_

"Frappaccinos?" Cordelia asked, satisfied with her answer.

"Trendy, but tasty," she said with confidence.

"John Tesh."

"The devil," Buffy said.  _A total gimme._

"Well… that was pretty much a gimme, but… you passed!"

"Oh, goody!" Buffy said sarcastically, though Cordelia didn't notice her sarcasm.  

"Nice dress!" Cordelia called at Willow as they continued to walk.  "Good to see you've seen the softer side of sears!"

"Well, um, my mom picked it out," Willow said quietly.  Buffy cringed inwardly.  

_Wrong answer._

She wanted to leap up and defend Willow, but she had to see Giles.  Besides, everything would work out between them later.

"No wonder you're a guy magnet," Cordelia said, sarcasm written all over her words.  "Are you done?" She gestured to the drinking fountain Willow had been drinking from.  

"Oh!" Willow said, stepping out of the way.  Buffy gave Willow a big smile.  Willow returned the smile shyly and turned to go on her way.

"You wanna fit in here, the first rule is: know your losers. Once you can identify them all by sight," Cordelia said, glancing at Willow, "they're a lot easier to avoid."

Buffy let out a fake laugh but looked at Willow again.

Giles.  Concentrate on Giles.  You have to see Giles.  Forget about how you just helped to destroy your best friend's heart.  Future best friend's heart.  Ugh, I've never been good with tenses.  

"And if you're not too swamped with catching up," Cordelia said as they rounded a corner, "you should come by the Bronze tonight."

Buffy almost laughed in triumph.  _At least this time I know what the Bronze is!_

"Local hip club?" Buffy 'guessed'.  "In the bad part of town?"

"Yeah," Cordelia said, impressed.  "Been there?"

"No, lucky guess," Buffy said, smiling inside.  

"You should show," Cordelia said.

"I'll try," Buffy said and gestured to the library door they had arrived at.  "Thanks."

"Good," Cordelia said.  "Well, I'll um… see you in gym?  Then you can tell me all there is to know about you."

"Great!" she shouted, waving.  "Oh, that sounds like fun."

"Hello?" she asked as she entered the library.  "Giles?"

Giles tapped her on the shoulder and she spun around quickly.

"Can I help you?" Giles asked, then peered at her through his thick glasses.  "Do I know you?"

Buffy smiled.  "I'm Buffy, new slayer.  You watcher."

"Um, yes," Giles said, still looking at her oddly.  "You're very perceptive."

Buffy shrugged.  "I suppose."

"Then I suppose this is what you're after?" Giles asked, lifting up a heavy book with the script **_Vampyrs _**on the front.

"Yes, I suppose I am looking for that," Buffy said.  "But I got class.  Catch up on this some other time?"

"Um, all right.  Of course," he said, bending down to put the book away.  "I'll see you at another time."

Buffy nodded and headed out the door.

_That went **way **better than the first time, _she thought.  _Thank god._

_Lunch._  Buffy turned into the quad and looked around for Willow.  She spotted the small girl taking out her lunch.

"Hey, Willow, right?" Buffy asked, smiling, sitting down.

"Why?  I-I mean hi!  Um, did you want me to move?" Willow asked nervously.  "'Cause I can do that, if you need me to."

"No!" Buffy shouted.  "I-I mean, no."  Willow smiled uncertainly.

"Why don't we start with 'hi, I'm Buffy'?" Buffy said, taking out her own lunch.  "Do you… do you want to hang?"

"Um, aren't you hanging with Cordelia?" Willow asked.  

"Yeah, I know, I can't do both legally," Buffy said, remembering the first time they had this conversation.  "But I figure it's my choice who I want to hang with."

Willow smiled at her.

"Oh, and I also need help," Buffy said awkwardly.  _Oh yeah, that'll help.  That'll make her think you want just to be friends with her, not that you wanna use her for homework and school.  Yeah.  Great job, Summers.  _"I need help catching up with school, and since you're the smartest person around here…"

"Yeah, sure!  Oh, I could **totally **help you!" Willow exclaimed, brightening.  Buffy let out a small sigh of relief.  _Thank god that went better than I thought._

"Um, if you have sixth period free, we can meet in the library," Willow said.

"Sure, I--" Buffy began, but was cut short by Jesse and Xander.

"Hey!" Jesse exclaimed, sitting down.  

"You guys busy?  Are we interrupting?  We're interrupting," Xander concluded.

"Um, Buffy, this is Jesse and that's Xander," Willow said, pointing to them.

"Oh, me and Buffy go waaay back, old friends, very close. Then there's that period of estrangement where I think we were both growing as people, but now here we are, like old times, I'm quite moved," Xander babbled.  Buffy couldn't hide her smile.  _Good ol' Xander.  Some things never change.  _

"Is it just me, or is he turning into a bibbling idiot?" Jesse asked.

"Trust me, he'll be like that for a  long time," Buffy said, unable to keep it in.  The other three stared at her.  "Um, one could imagine.  I mean, now's the time that we all change into who we'll be the rest of our lives and…" she paused and took a deep breath.  "Look who now is the bibbling idiot!" she said feebly.

The other three smiled and Buffy sighed in  relief for the second time in 10 minutes.  _Thank god they bought that._

"It's nice to meet you guys," Buffy said finally.

"Well, you know, we wanted to welcome ya, make ya feel at home, unless you have a scary home...,"  Jesse started.

Actually I do.  We all do.  Living on the Hellmouth is probably the scariest place on earth.

"So what do you do for fun, what do you like, what do you look for in a man, let's hear it," Xander broke in.

"If you have any dark, painful secrets you'd like us to publish?" Jesse added.

_Yeah, definitely a dark secret.  At many times, painful.  But you'll all find out about the Slayer bit soon enough, so…_

"Not, really," she said uncomfortably.  "Um, how keen.  Everyone wants to know the Buffy story."

"Well, not much goes on in a one Starbucks town like Sunnydale. You're pretty big news," Xander explained.

"I'm not big news, really," Buffy said.  _Well I won't be for a little while._

"Are these guys bothering you?" Cordelia asked, walking over to the four.  

"No!  Of course not!" Buffy exclaimed.  "I chose to be here."

"She… she's not really h-hanging out with us," Willow offered.  _Damn it, Will!  Stick up for yourself!_

"Hey Cordelia!" Jesse said.  

"Oh please," Cordelia said with disgust, wrinkling her nose.  "I don't mean to interrupt your downward mobility, but I just wanted to tell you that you won't be meeting Coach Foster, the woman with the chest hair, because gym was canceled due to the extreme dead guy in the locker."

"Dead guy?" Buffy asked.  __

"Some guy was stuffed in Aura's locker!" Cordelia shouted.

_Right, the guy that died with a vampire bite on his neck.  _Buffy sighed.  _Time to go back in business.  The 5 hour break was nice, but…_

"H-he was dead?" Willow asked, even paler than it seemed possible.

"Totally dead.  **Way **dead."

"Not just a little dead then?"  _Xander, of course.  Always bringing in his wit to the dimmest of situations._

"Don't you have somewhere elsewhere to be?" Cordelia asked, nearly snarling at the boy.

"I do," Buffy said.  The others looked at her, needing more explanation.  "I… um… forgot to get a book earlier at the library.  I need it for next period, so…"  She picked up her backpack.  "Need to be on my way."

"Oh!" Willow said eagerly.  "I'll come with!  I love the library!  A-and I could help you catch up and all, ya know?"

Buffy nearly groaned.  _The one time she's the slightest bit assertive…_

"Um, no, it's ok.  We'll hook up later, though.  K?" Buffy asked, hoping the girl's feelings were not hurt.

"Yeah, sure," Willow said, slightly depressed.

"Great, see ya guys," she said, walking back into the building.

"So, what's the sitch?" Buffy asked, entering the library.  She nearly chuckled.  _Last time I said that, I was about 100 times angrier.  Funny how things change._

"Um, I'm sorry?" Giles asked, stepping out from behind a stack of books.

"Dead guy in locker?  Who's the big bad?" Buffy asked.

"Big bad?" Giles asked, perplexed.  He wondered how long it would take to decode her language.  Probably decades.  If she lived that long.

"The guy had bite marks on his neck," Buffy said, remembering the first time she saw him.  "Who did it?  What evil needs to be slayed?"

"Um, well, will he rise again?" Giles asked.

"What?" Buffy asked, confused.  "Oh, no.  To make you a vampire they have to suck your blood. And then you have to suck their blood. It's like a whole big sucking thing. Mostly they're just gonna kill you."

"Oh, well…" Giles said, trailing off.  "It's no coincidence that that guy died and now you're here."

"I don't believe in coincidences," Buffy said, nodding.  "I know.  The whole Hellmouth thing."

"Excuse me?" Giles asked.

"You think you're the only one who knows anything?" Buffy asked, amused.  "This whole area is a center of mystical energy, that things gravitate towards it that, that, that you might not find elsewhere.  Hellmouth." 

"Yes, I'm familiar with the term," Giles said.  "And you, being the Slayer, slays them?"

"And what do you do?" Buffy asked.  "Watch them?"

"Well yes, I mean… No!" Giles shouted, shaking his head.  Buffy nearly giggled.  It was always fun to confuse Giles.  "Into each generation a Slayer is born, one girl in all the world, a Chosen One, one born with the strength and skill to hunt the vampires..."

"I got that.  And that's what I'm gonna do.  Just give me something to slay, ok?"  Buffy began to leave.  "Gotta motor.  Class starts soon.  Research and all that crap you usually do, and I'll check back with you later, ok?"  Giles followed Buffy out the door.

Xander emerged from the stacks.

"What?"

"You can't go now!  I need help looking, and—"

"Giles, I have to go to class.  You're research man.  I'm slay girl," Buffy said.  "Now go on.  Go do what you're being paid for."  Giles sighed and reentered the library.

"The sleeper will wake. The sleeper will wake. The sleeper will wake. The sleeper will wake, and the world will bleed. Amen!"

Buffy leafed through her closet.

_God, I had the worst taste back… now!  _She finally found an acceptable dress and put it on quickly.  Her mother entered her room as she put on her lipstick.

"Hey!" Buffy said happily.  

"Where are you going?" Joyce inquired.

"I'm Bronze-ing it."  Joyce stared blankly at her.  "Local club.  Going tonight."  

"Will there be… boys there?" Joyce asked, flushing.

"No, mom, it's a nun club," Buffy said, remembering her response the first time they had the conversation.

"Well, just be careful," Joyce said, exiting the room.

I always am.  Or I try to be, at least.

Buffy walked down the dark alleyway.

_Only a few more blocks.  Then I can finally hang out with my friends and have a good time for once._  She turned quickly as she heard something in the distance.

Angel walked through the alley and Buffy smiled from behind a trashcan.  _Major plus for traveling back in time._  Angel turned as he heard her breathing.

"Is there a problem, ma'am?" he asked.  

"No, no problem.  I just had the feeling you were following me," Buffy said, trying not to smile.  

"I know what you're thinking.  Don't worry, I don't bite," Angel said.

"Actually I wasn't thinking that.  After all, you are a souled vampire."  Angel stared at her in shock as she suppressed a giggle.  "Oh come on, Angel.  Drop the act.  I know you won't bite.  A hundred plus years of hearing your victims scream?  No.  You won't bite.  Haven't in a long time."

"How did you—"

"Know?" Buffy asked.  "Let's just say… I've done research."  

"So you're the Slayer," Angel said.  "Truth is, I thought you'd be taller, or bigger muscles and all that. You're pretty spry, though."

"Yep," Buffy said.  "Spry.  That's me.  But stop trying to advert the subject.  What do you want?"

"To kill them.  To kill them all.  Same as you."

"How do you know that's what I want?" Buffy asked.

"Do you really think it's an option?  Kill or not?  You're standing on the Mouth of Hell, and it's about to open."

"Yeah yeah.  Tell me something I don't know," Buffy said.  _Which is little, at the moment._

Angel shrugged.  "You have to be ready.  The Harvest is coming."  He tossed her a box.

"Lemme guess," Buffy said, watching him closely.  "A cross?"

A look of shock came across Angel's face, but as quickly as it was there, it was gone.

"Come inside with me," Buffy said, motioning to the Bronze.

"I-I…"

"Come."

Angel complied.  They walked together as Buffy put Angel's cross on.  It was even more special the second time around.

"Hey, Will!" she shouted, inside.  Angel stood by her side, looking uncomfortable.  "This is Angel."

"Oh… you brought someone," Willow said, frowning.

"Are you here with someone?" Buffy asked.

"No.  I mean, I thought Xander would be here, but…" she trailed off.

"You guys going out?" Buffy asked, knowing the answer, but hoping to get something more out of Willow.

"No, we're just friends," Willow said sadly.  "We did go out… but we broke up.  He stole my Barbie."

"You were 5," Buffy concluded, knowing the story.

"Um, yeah.  I-I don't really date a whole lot, really," Willow said.  "When I'm with a boy I like, it's hard for me to say anything cool, or, or witty, or at all. I-I can usually make a few vowel sounds, and then I have to go away."

"You're not that bad," Buffy said.  _It's hard to imagine Will with this little confidence!_  _Even when I'm here with her, it's like it's not really her._

"Trust me," Willow said, allowing a small laugh to emerge.  "It is.  Most guys like a girl who can talk."

"You really haven't dated much," Buffy said, laughing.  

"Um, I'm going to go get drinks.  Want anything?" Angel asked.

"Coke, please," Buffy said.

"Well, it's probably easy for you," Willow said after Angel had left.

"Yeah, real easy."

"No, it is!  Look how quickly you got a guy!" Willow exclaimed.  "God, if I could do that with Xander, well…"  She shook her head.  "Things would be a lot easier, is all I'm saying."

Buffy looked up to the upper level.  

Giles.  What a surprise.

"I-I'm gonna be right back," Buffy said.  "Tell Angel if he gets here before I do that I'm in the bathroom, k?"  Willow nodded as Buffy left.

"So, you like to party with the students?" Buffy asked as she found her way to Giles.  "Pretty skanky."

"Right, this is me having fun," Giles said sarcastically.  "Look, this is the perfect breeding ground for vampiric activity!  It's dark, lots of warm bodies close together… besides I knew you'd be here, and I had to tell you—"

"Angel told me something.  The Harvest."

"Angel?"

"He's a vampire with a soul," Buffy said nonchalantly.  "It's a whole big thing.  Don't worry, he can be trusted.  I'm sure of it."

"The Harvest," Giles said, moving on, even though the idea of a vampire giving his Slayer information made him a bit nervous.  "I've read about that before."

"Yeah.  Master coming to power, the anointed one, bunch of crap like that."

"What?  I mean… how…"  Giles shook his head.  "Look, you need to be ready.  There's so much you don't know about them, about your powers."  _I know a LOT more than you would think_.  "Can you tell me if there are any vampires in this building?"

Oh no… I forgot this part… 

"Willow!"

Oh no oh no… what did I do the first time?  Oh yes.

"I totally and completely ruined my social situation and I didn't find Willow.  Plus, I let Darla get Jesse," she said aloud.  _Crap._  Get Jesse or get Willow.

"What did I do the first thing?" she yelled.  A few people looked at her strangely, but she took no notice of them.  _Oh god… the first time Jesse died.  _She sighed.  He would have to die again this time.  It was the only way things would be able to turn out the same.  Otherwise, who knows what would have happened?

"Master!"  The Master had risen.  Again.

"I am weak," the Master said.

"In the Harvest he shall be restored," Luke quoted.

"The Harvest."

"Sure is dark," Willow said nervously.

"It's night," Thomas said simply.

"Well, that's a dark time, night. Traditionally. I still can't believe I've never seen you at school. Do you have Mr. Chomsky for history?" Willow asked in a rush.  Thomas began to turn down an alley. 

"Er… isn't the ice cream place that way?" she asked, pointing.

"I know a shortcut," Thomas answered.  _This is wrong, this is wrong, this is wrong! _Willow thought to herself, yet she followed anyways. 

"Um, you're leaving?" Xander asked as Buffy exited the Bronze for the third time.  She had been in and out, searching for anyone who knew where Willow was.

"Look, I need to find her!  She left with a guy and… he's trouble!" she shouted.  

"Well, I hope he's not a vampire, 'cause then you'd have to slay him," Xander quipped.

"I don't have time for this!" Buffy yelled.  "Willow's in danger!"

"You actually believe this!" Xander exclaimed, laughing.

"We have to find her!  Otherwise they'll be one more dead body in the morning!"  _Or actually, two.  But I can't save everyone._

"O-okay… this is nice," Willow commented as they walked through the cemetery.  "And scary.  You sure this is the way?"  They stopped in front of a mausoleum.  

"Hey, ever been in one of those?" Thomas asked, excitedly.

"Nooooo, thank you," Willow said, turning.

"Come on!  What are you afraid of?" he asked.  He leaned in to her neck.  She let out a yelp and fell into the mausoleum.

"That wasn't funny!" she shouted angrily.  Thomas entered after her.

"I-I think I'm going to go," Willow said, trying to get to the door.

"That's what you think?" Thomas asked.

"That's the best you can do?"  A voice leapt out from behind a coffin.

"She's fresh!" Thomas hissed.

"Hardly enough to share," the woman drawled, coming out from where she had been hiding.

"Why didn't you bring your own?" Thomas demanded.

Darla smiled.  "I did."

Willow gasped as Jesse came out from behind Darla.  He held his neck as blood trickled down from a bit wound.

"You gave me a hickey," he said weakly, collapsing.

"Jesse!" Willow shouted.

"I got hungry on the way," Darla replied, shrugging, to Thomas's look.

"Jesse, we have to get out of here," Willow told him.

Darla laughed.  Willow thought that there couldn't be a more evil sound anywhere in the world.  "Oh, you're not going anywhere."

"Leave us alone!" Willow screamed as the two vamped out.

"You're not going anywhere until we've fed!" 

"Well this is nice," Buffy said, entering with Xander.  "It's a little bare, but a dash of paint… a few throw pillows… call it home!"

"Who the hell are you?" Darla snarled.  _She kind of reminds me of Cordelia, only sharper teeth,_ Buffy thought in amusement.

"Heard the term Vampire Slayer before?" Buffy asked.  

"Buffy, we bail now right?" Xander asked nervously.

"Xander, get Jesse to a hospital.  Willow, go with them.  I can take care of these two," Buffy said, nodding to the fanged ones.

Buffy whipped out a stake as Thomas rushed at her from behind.  Buffy promptly staked him.

"Xander, Willow, go!" Buffy shouted.  _At least this time, _she thought, _they complied._

"He was young and stupid!" Darla bluffed.

"You really don't know who I am, by now?" Buffy asked.

"I really don't care," a voice said from behind her.  He flung her across the room.  _This hurts more the second time!_

"You were supposed to bring an offering from the Master!" Luke shouted.  "We're almost at Harvest, and you dally with this child!"  Buffy frowned.  _I'm not a child!  I'm 21!  Well… I was…_

"We had someone, but then she came!" Darla shouted.  "Luke… she killed Thomas!  She's strong."  _You bet you're tacky shoes I am!_

"You go.  I'll handle the little girl," Luke said.

Buffy stood up punched him in the face.  She then kicked his stomach, punched him a few times, and threw him into the wall.

"Nice handling," she said to the body on the floor.

"Come on, we have to hurry!" Willow exclaimed as they hurried along the road.

"Maybe if I got a little **help **from a certain person," Xander hinted as he dragged Jesse on the ground.

"Need some help?" Buffy asked perkily, coming up from behind them.

_Oh crap,_ she thought as a swarm of vampires surrounded them.  _I forgot about this part.  God, I could hit myself!  I can't forget these important details!  But there's no time to hit myself.  I have to hit them.  _And so she began to fight.

A/N:  I'm hoping to do this to all of the episodes through seasons 1-6.  I'm not sure how far I'll get before I get bored, etc.  I dunno.  Anyways, REVIEW ^_^


	2. The Harvest

A/N:  I accidentally uploaded the first chapter of my other fic instead of that fic and then ff.n cut out and wouldn't let me replace the chapter with the real one, so basically everything to screwed up.  Thankfully, now, it's the right first chapter, but if you read this before and it was a different first chapter, it was wrong.  Anyways, review.  ^_^

"Are… you guys… ok?" Buffy panted.

"I-I'm fine," Willow said, extremely pale.  "Jesse passed out, though."

"We can call an ambulance.  Right now, we have to get to the library," Buffy said.  

"This world is older than any of you know. Contrary to popular mythology, it did not begin as a paradise. For untold eons demons walked the Earth. They made it their home, their... their Hell. But in time they lost their purchase on this reality. The way was made for mortal animals, for, for man. All that remains of the old ones are vestiges, certain magicks, certain creatures..." Giles trailed off.  The two teenagers stared at him, at a loss for words.

When they had arrived at the school, they had called an ambulance for Jesse.  The paramedics said that he had major blood loss, but would survive.  Now, Giles was lecturing them on the evils of the world.

"In English," Buffy explained, "Vampires.  Demons.  Whole mess of evil creatures."

"Ok, this is where I have a problem.  See, because we're talking about vampires. We're having a **talk** with vampires in it," Xander said, shaking his head.

"Isn't that what we saw last night?" Willow asked timidly, having an easier time accepting this new world.

"No. No, th-those weren't vampires, those were just guys in thundering need of a facial. Or maybe they had rabies. It could have been rabies. A-and that guy turning to dust? Just a trick of light. That's exactly what I said the first time I 

saw a vampire. Well, after I was done with the screaming part," Buffy said.  "Look, I've dusted more vampires than you could have ever imagined and fought more demons than you would want to know about.  Every time, there's a slight nagging feeling deep down that it's not real.  But it is."

"I thought you'd only been a slayer for a year," Giles said, perplexed.  "How could you fight that many—"

"Exaggeration," Buffy said quickly.  "But that's beside the point."

"I think I need to sit down," Willow said wearily.

"You are sitting down," Buffy told her.

"Oh.  Yay for me," she said.

"Look, I know it's hard to deal," Buffy said.  _I've had the problem countless times.  _"But it's all real.  You have to face this if you want to live."

"I vote yes for living," Xander said.

"Good," Buffy said.  "Then you're on your way."

"Where's my food?" the Master asked Darla and Luke.

"We had two delicious meals for you," Darla said.  "But… there was a girl."

"A little **girl **stopped you?!" the Master shouted.

"We think she may be a Slayer," Luke offered.

"Hmmmm… a Slayer."

"Ok.  And that would be a what?" Xander asked.

"For long as there have been vampires," Giles began.  Buffy rolled her eyes.  _I think this is his favorite part about being a Watcher._  "there's been a Slayer.  One girl in all the world, a Chosen One."

"He loves doing this part," Buffy broke in.

"Alright," Giles said irritated.  "The Slayer hunts vampires, Buffy is the Slayer, don't tell anyone.  I think that's all the information you need to know."  Buffy smiled.  _That's my Giles._

"Except for one thing: how do you kill them?" Xander asked.

"Stake.  Sunlight.  Holy water.  Basic things.  Don't like crosses or garlic," Buffy said, not bothering to tell them that it wasn't their job to kill them, it was hers.  They would have to fight vampires anyways.

"There was this bad guy," Buffy remembered.  "Luke.  He talked about an offering to the Master.  That means they probably have some sacrifices which I need to save.  Otherwise…"

"Mega deaths," Willow finished, blanching.  It was hard just imagining being killed by a vampire, let alone sacrifices.  As in plural.  "Um… why don't we just call the police or someone?"

"And they'd believe us of course," Giles answered dryly.

"Besides, the police can't handle vampires.  I can.  I have to; it's my job," Buffy said.

"You have no idea where they went?" Giles asked.

"I looked around, but they were all of a sudden… voom!" Buffy said.  _I'm missing something… god… I need to remember this… _

"Oh!  Sewer systems!" Buffy exclaimed.  "That's how vamps travel during the day.  There's a tunnel access in the mausoleum."

"Would you be able to find it?" Giles asked.

"Most definitely," Buffy said, smiling.  Finally, her knowledge was paying off.  _Actually, it already has.  I saved Jesse **and** Willow, unlike last time._

"A Slayer!  Have you any proof?" The Master asked.

"Only that she fought me and lives," Luke said.

"That's proof enough.  She mustn't stop the Harvest!"

"Don't worry… I believe she'll come to us," the Master said smiling.  "A Slayer never turns down the chance to save an innocent."

"So, what are we going to do?" Xander asked.

"**We **are going to do nothing," Buffy said, even though she knew it was useless.  "I'm the Slayer.  You're not."

"I knew you'd throw that back in my face," Xander quipped.  

"You guys can help Giles research," Buffy said.  "That'll be enough."  _Although it's pretty useless to research.  I already know what'll happen._

Buffy stopped by the gate.  _Oh no… not him… 3…2…1…_

"And where do we think we're going?"  Principal Flutie said from behind Buffy.

_Yep… there he is._

"I was getting something for Giles," Buffy fibbed.

"You're not allowed to go off-campus.  Maybe Mr. Giles believes that's acceptable, but here it isn't.  Are we clear?"

"Crystal."  Buffy nodded.  

"That's what I like to hear!" Principal Flutie exclaimed and left Buffy.  Buffy glanced in his direction, and after being sure he was gone, she jumped over the 7-foot fence.

Buffy entered the mausoleum.  _What happens next?  Last time I was rescuing Jesse.  This time, it's whoever else they have holed up in there.  _

"I don't suppose you have a key on you," Buffy said like clockwork.  She turned to see Angel behind her.  _Figured he'd be there._

"They really don't like me dropping in," Angel admitted.

"Now why would that be?" Buffy asked, amused.  "Perhaps the soul thing?  The helping people trying to kill them thing?"

"Something like that."  Buffy turned around to work on the entrance.

"Don't' go down there!" Angel warned.

"Deal with my going."  _Just a few more seconds of work on it…_

"You can't be putting yourself at risk.  Unless you stop it, the Master will rise again."

"And you're not going to stop because—just a guess—you're afraid?"

Angel smiled.  "You surprise me every time I see you."

"Which would be a total of two times now.  Wow, I'm impressed," Buffy said sarcastically.  She turned her attention back to the entrance.

"They have a kid o—"

"I know where he or she would be," Buffy said.  _Been there, done that._  She successfully opened the entrance.

"Good luck," Angel offered.  Buffy smiled.

"Did you see anything?" Xander asked.

_Crap!  Not Xander!  I need to be alert and **remember these things!**_

Buffy sighed,  "Xander, you shouldn't be here."

"I want to help!" Xander shouted.  "I'm sick of standing by the side doing nothing!"

"Look I understand," Buffy said.  "But go!"

"I can't do that," Xander said.  Buffy rolled her eyes.

"Fine."  _I forgot how stubborn Xander used to be.  Actually, he still is.  The whole Anya thing for starters, and—_

Buffy heard a footstep, interrupting her thoughts.

"They're close," she said.

"How can you tell?" Xander asked.

"Trust me on this," Buffy said.  "They are."

"Help me!  Please!" a boy cried on the ground.

"It's all right, we got  you," Buffy said, breaking his chains.

"Think anyone else heard that?" Xander asked.

"I think so."

In the doorway were 7 vampires.  _Three too many for me!  At least right now, when all I have is a stake.  I knew I should have gotten Giles's crossbow!_

"Run!" Buffy yelled and the three ran down the way they came.

_Wait… no… they'll be waiting for us!  I remember from last time!_

"No, not that way!  In here!" Buffy said, grabbing the two.

"Great, there's no way out of here!" Xander shouted.  "We're going to die!"

"Nope," Buffy said, shaking her head.  "Up there."  

"She escaped?  She walks free when I should be drinking her heart's blood right now?  Careless…" The Master shouted.

"Master, we had her trapped!" Colin said.

"Oh, are you going to make excuses?" the Master asked.

"You are all weak. It has been too long since you have faced the Slayer. Huh. It is no matter to me. She will not stop the Harvest. Just means there'll be someone worth killing... when I reach the surface. Is Luke ready?" The Master asked.

"He waits."

"It's time.  Bring him to me!"

"Have you found anything of interest yet?" Giles asked Willow as she walked into the room.

"I think, maybe... I surfed through the old newspapers around the time of that big earthquake back in '37? And for several months before there were a rash of murders," Willow said.

"Great!  Well not good… but, um… go on?"

"The sounded just like you said.  Throats, blood," Willow said, beginning to look squeamish.

"It's all coming together.  Though I rather wish it wasn't."

"Did you find a sacrifice?" Willow asked as Buffy and Giles returned.

"Yep," Buffy said.  "Saved him too.  He's at home now, trying to forget this ever happened.  So."  She swiveled around.  "Giles, anything to make this worse?"

_The end of the world?  I don't even know why I bother on asking._

"How about the end of the world?" Giles asked.

"What a surprise," Buffy muttered.

"This is what we know," Giles began.

"Don't bother, Giles."  Buffy fiddled with a strand of hair.  "I know.  Master came around 60 years ago because this was a 'Boca del Inferno' and whatnot.  He had hoped to open the mouth of Hell and release what was inside.  But he screwed up and was trapped.  Now, tonight, at the Harvest, he will gain enough power to reopen it."

The other three stared blankly at her.

"Great," Willow complained, frowning.  "I do hours of research and she already knows it all."

"How did you know that?" Giles asked, suspicious.

"I'm omniscient Buffy!" she said perkily.  _Close enough to the truth…_

"I see…" Giles said, letting it drop.

"There's another thing," Willow said.

"You need to dust anything with this symbol on its forehead.  They're…"

"Vessels that need to be destroyed.  And they'll be at the Bronze."

Xander nodded.  "A bunch of warm bodies together?  Definitely the Bronze."

"Then we should go," Giles said.

"I need to stop at my house for supplies," Buffy said, and then groaned.  _God, I'm going to be late again.  This is so not good.  _

"Buffy, you're going out again?" Joyce asked as Buffy put some things in a bag.

"Yeah.  I know I haven't been around much, but I promise we'll do a mother/daughter thing this weekend, ok?" Buffy asked.  Her mind raced.  _Nope, no one to save, nothing to do, this weekend._

"Buffy…," Joyce said warningly.

"Please, mom.  I promise this won't be like L.A.  I know I missed some classes, but I was catching up with the librarian.  I lost track of time.  And I know it looks bad, but it's not what you think.  Really," Buffy said quickly without taking a breath.  "Just trust me."

Joyce eyed her daughter.  "All right.  But you have a curfew!  Be back by 1, ok?"

Buffy breathed a sigh of relief.  "Thanks.  I'll see you later, then."

_That went very very well._

"Ladies and gentlemen!" Luke shouted at the crowd.

_Thank god I got here in time! _Buffy thought.

"There is no cause for alarm.  Actually—"  Buffy held up her crossbow and shot it.  _One down, a lot to go,_ she thought as Luke collapsed into dust.

Willow stood by the doorway with Xander, helping the humans escape.  Buffy dusted vampires right and left.  _It's a lot easier knowing what's going to happen_.  

"She did it," Angel said from the back of the Bronze.  "I'll be damned."

"I take it it's over," Giles said.

"Did we win?" Willow asked hopefully.

"We adverted the apocalypse," Buffy said.  "I give us points for that."

"What exactly were you expecting?" Buffy asked as she, Willow, and Xander walked down the hall.

"I don't know, something!  I mean, the dead rose.  We should at least have an assembly," Xander explained.  

"People tend to rationalize what they can and can't figure out," Giles told him.

"Believe me, I've seen it," Buffy said.

"Well I'll never forget it," Willow said, letting out a nervous laugh.  "None of it."

"Good.  Then you'll be prepared for next time," Giles said smiling.

"Next time?" Xander asked, wide-eyed.  "But… we destroyed the vessel!  The Master isn't going to rise!"

"Well, he's not going to stop trying just because he's failed once!  Would you?" Giles asked.  Xander looked at him as if to say 'No duh!'  Giles sighed.  "Oh forget it."  Buffy stifled a laugh.

"We're at the center of a mystical convergence here. We may, in fact, stand between the Earth and its total destruction," Giles said.

_And trust me, there's a lot more to come, _Buffy thought.  _More than you can ever imagine._

A/N:  Review please!


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